Credit Transfer
Transferring credits to KU
You might be able to earn college credits, exempt yourself from KU Core goals, or take higher-level KU courses based on classes and exams you've already taken. We can transfer credit only from institutions accredited by a U.S. regional accrediting agency at the time of completion.
We transfer as many courses as possible as a direct match to KU courses. When no course corresponds, we use a code system to indicate how the course may fulfill KU Core or degree requirements or count toward electives.
To transfer credit, request an official electronic transcript from the relevant institution. Once received, we'll process it and post transfer work to your KU record. (If an institution needs to mail a physical transcript, it can be sent to the address found at the bottom of this page.)
Types of transferable credit
You might be able to earn college credits or start taking KU courses at a higher level based on retroactive credit from classes taken in high school, or from scores earned in the following tests:
- Advanced Placement
- College Level Examination Program
- International Baccalaureate
- Foreign language placement and proficiency exams
A maximum of 64 hours of community college coursework can be applied toward a KU degree. All community college courses transfer as lower-level credit. A bachelor's degree from KU requires 45 upper-level hours. All transfer hours are converted to semester hours if necessary. You can see how courses from area community colleges transfer to KU with our community college transfer guides.
Courses are matched as closely as possible by topic, but different schools may designate different levels of credit for the same course. KU grants the level of credit defined by the originating institution. A lower-level course completed at your original institution may match an upper-level course at KU, but it would still retain lower-level credit on your transcript, and vice versa.
If you completed an associate's or bachelor's degree at another institution, your courses will be evaluated individually to see whether they are eligible for KU credit and whether they satisfy KU Core Goals. Once you've been admitted, you can review your Degree Progress Report online and meet with an academic advisor during Orientation to discuss any remaining course requirements before you enroll.
If you enroll in a KU math course for the fall term and are taking a required prerequisite course over the summer at another institution, it is your responsibility to make sure the transferring institution can generate an official copy of your transcript, including a grade for the transfer math course, and mail it in time to arrive at the KU Office of Admissions by Aug. 13. Otherwise, you may be dropped from your fall math course at KU.
The University of Kansas grants some college credit hours for U.S. veterans and active duty military. Once a student’s application is complete, the Office of Admissions evaluates and awards credit based on "A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services," published by the American Council on Education (ACE). Based on an individual’s experience, KU Core Goals may be met using military credit and/or experiences.
To earn four hours of credit in Health, Sport & Exercise Sciences for basic training, send us a copy of your DD-214 discharge papers and/or your JST. To earn credit for military courses, send a copy of your CLEP scores, your Joint Services Transcript (JST), Community College of the Airforce (CCAF) transcript, and/or Defense Language Institute's Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) transcript. KU does not offer credit for Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) training or job experience.
Transfer credit from international institutions that are not accredited by a U.S. regional accrediting association are evaluated under different standards and may not transfer. We do not accept credit from courses that are developmental, vocational, medical, or technical in nature. (Contact your individual school about transfer credits if you plan to attend a program at the KU Medical Center campus.)
If you earned a grade of D+ or below (or the equivalent for your institution), your transfer credit may not be applied toward a degree. If the course is otherwise transferable, grades of D+, D, D-, and F (or their equivalents) are used to calculate your cumulative transfer GPA. You may appeal a credit decision by submitting the proper form.
There is a growing list of course approved by the Kansas Board of Regents for System Wide Transfer (SWT) among all Kansas public postsecondary institutions offering an equivalent course.
Visit kansasregents.org/transfer_articulation for more information.